Sea Breeze
by new in town
Summary: Once the Sinnoh Grand Festival comes to a close, May decides to visit an old friend. advanceshipping.
1. arrival

**Quick Author's Note: hey guys! it's been a while since i've written anything on this site, but hey, i've been reading a lot of old advanceshipping fics and listening to a lot of good music and i got inspired. i was listening to still into you by paramore, and well, this came to be because of it lmao. i hope y'all enjoy it! feedback is appreciated. (and please, please let me know if you'd like me to continue this!) to prevent any confusion, may is wearing her oras outfit :) thank you for reading! -aj**

* * *

It was a miracle that she was able to catch a flight to Hau'oli City. With the hustle and bustle that a Grand Festival brings, May wondered how a flight was departing so quickly after it ended. While she didn't take first place like she'd hoped, second place was just as good. (And it left room for improvement, something that Ash always liked to point out.)

May's come a long way since starting out in Hoenn all those years ago. Now on the cusp of turning nineteen, the coordinator had truly lived up to the nickname of 'The Princess of Hoenn.'

The Sinnoh Grand Festival had ended not too long ago, and while going home sounded absolutely amazing, May decided to take a detour to the region her best friend was currently traveling in. In all the phone calls she'd had with Ash, there were so many great things he'd said and seemed to be very excited about.

He was extremely excited about the concept of Z-moves, in particular.

He'd sent her video clips that RotomDex had taken, and May had to admit, she was impressed. She often thought about how a Z-move of her own would look, but the thought was quickly suppressed by the reminder that she was nowhere near the Alola region, and she didn't have a Z-ring.

A cold paw on her lap brought her out of her reverie. Not bothering to fight the smile on her face, May looked down at her Glaceon, the blue Pokémon's tail swinging back and forth with glee. "You're excited too, huh?" the coordinator asked, though she already knew the answer.

"Glaceon!" Her partner replied, and if May's smile wasn't already extremely wide, it definitely was now.

"Attention everyone. This is your captain speaking. We'll be landing in Melemele shortly. Please return all Pokémon to their Pokéballs. Thank you."

With excitement welling up inside of her, May returned Glaceon to her Pokéball and sat back in her seat, staring out at the bright sky through the opened window.

* * *

Getting past the crowd of tourists proved to be a challenge, but May somehow did it. With Glaceon now out of her Pokéball once again, the girl made her way to the Tourist Bureau to get a map. Stepping inside the large building, her breath caught in her throat at the sight. People were everywhere, and it almost brought a sense of nostalgia for Lilycove City's Department Store.

Smiling brightly, May and Glaceon made their way to the front desk, where an old woman was organizing pamphlets. "Excuse me ma'am. I was hoping to get a map of the city?" May asked kindly, earning a smile. "Of course young lady!" She responded. "Here you are!"

"Thank you… Carol!" May grinned, reading the woman's name from her employee ID tag. "Anytime!" Carol said. "What brings you to Alola?" she asked as she went back to arranging the pamphlets.

"Oh, well a friend of mine is currently attending the Pokémon School, and I planned to visit him." May said sheepishly, and Glaceon piped up with her own input. "Glace Glaceon!"

"I see that your Pokémon is excited." Carol said with a laugh. "Well, good luck with your friend…"

"May." The coordinator filled her in, smiling. "May." Carol repeated. "That's such a nice name. It was very nice to meet you."

"You as well. Thank you Carol!" May responded as she turned to head out the door. Just as she stepped outside and turned in the direction of the Trainer School, a silver blur sped past. Confused, the coordinator craned her neck to get a better look at the commotion.

"Look out!"

Startled, May barely had time to sidestep out of the way from someone running after what she assume was a Pokémon. "Excuse me. Sorry. Please look out!" As the person ran down the street, May raised an eyebrow as she watched him.

"Sophocles, wait up!" a familiar voice called, and try as she might, May couldn't ignore the fuzzy feeling in her chest as she spun around to see Pikachu running up to her.

"Pikachu!" the yellow Pokémon called out, jumping into her arms (and crumpling the map in the process.) "Hey Pikachu, it's so nice to see you again!"

"Pikachu, not you too!" Ash called out, stopping to take a breath. "First Sophocles and Togedemaru run off, and now you've gone and-" cutting himself off, Ash smiled wider than ever before as he took in the sight before him.

May stood in a red t-shirt and a pair of white shorts, her old bandana tied around her head in a new style. Raising an eyebrow as she smirked, the coordinator giggled as Glaceon happily ran over to Ash.

"Wow." Ash started, squatting down to pet the ice type. "I know you said that you were planning a visit, but I had no idea that it would be this soon."

"What, do you want me to go back to Hoenn?" May asked snarkily, making her best friend laugh. "No, of course not. It's nice to see you."

Once May set Pikachu down onto his feet, Glaceon approached him and Ash was free to embrace his best friend. "C'mere smarty pants." he said teasingly, and May didn't need to be told twice. She walked up to Ash and threw her arms around his shoulders. Ash held her close for a few moments, before he pulled away to look at her face.

"I'm really proud of you."

His statement came out of the blue, startling May.

"What for?" she asked, blushing slightly. "You came in second in the Sinnoh Grand Festival! That's a huge deal!"

Rolling her eyes, May playfully shoved his shoulder. "I wouldn't say it was that big of an ordeal, but thank you. I only got this far because of you."

Before Ash could speak, however, May opened her mouth to say something else.

"Before we go off on a tangent, shouldn't we go after that friend of yours?"

"Who, Sophocles? I'm sure he'll be fine."

As if on cue, Togedemaru rolled past them once again, her trainer chasing after her. "I'm not fine! Definitely not fine!" he shouted, and May only smirked at Ash as he chuckled sheepishly.

"I guess we should help him out before we catch up, huh?"

"And here I thought you were learning."

"Shut up."

With a shared laugh, the two friends turned on their heels to catch up to the trainer and Pokémon currently headed towards the Trainer School for another adventure.


	2. beaches

**hello everyone! i'll admit, this chapter isn't that good. but it introduces the majority of the characters that'll be making appearances so yay !**

 **i've given the ages of the characters some thought, and i've come to a decision. i feel like the pokémon school isn't meant solely for children, maybe more focused on anyone who wants to learn ! that's why there's a variety of ages between the students (i hope that makes sense lmao.) anyways, here are the ages of the characters !**

 **ash - 19**

 **may - 18**

 **lillie - 17**

 **lana - 16**

 **mallow - 17**

 **sophocles - 16**

 **kiawe - 20**

 **gladion - 19**

 **max - 15**

 **(gladion and max should show up in the next chapter, so look forward to that!)**

 **i've also decided that this story is gonna have either four or five chapters, depending on how i feel after the fourth chapter is written! either way, i hope you guys enjoy this update ! -aj**

* * *

Things with Togedemaru had settled nicely, and Ash currently sat on the sandy beach in Hau'oli City, staring off into the distance at a certain brunette as she splashed in the crystal clear ocean. Glaceon was curled up next to the raven haired trainer, resting on an old beach towel that the trainer had brought with him.

He smiled in spite of himself, watching as Pikachu and May played together in the water. He was pulled out of his head at the sound of Lana's familiar voice.

"Hey Ash! I can't believe you'd go to the beach without inviting me!" she giggled teasingly, approaching him in the same blue bathing suit she sported on that visit to Kanto. Rolling his eyes, Ash jerked his thumb in the direction of his best friend.

"I really didn't have a choice." he said flatly, though a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Well," Lana started, jabbing her thumb in the direction behind her. "Do you mind some more company?"

As if on cue, the remainder of his friends made their way onto the sand, ready for a nice day in the sun. "I can't believe you'd have to ask." Ash said, mimicking Lana's earlier tone. With another giggle, the water type trainer waved their friends over.

"Hey! We were all wondering where you were after Sophocles came back to the school!" Mallow said as she set a towel down next to Ash and Glaceon. The green haired girl raised an eyebrow at the new Pokémon, shooting her friend a look that said 'start talking.' Lillie approached Ash with Mallow, Snowy happily bounding over towards her fellow ice type.

The Kanto native chuckled and pointed out to the horizon where his best friend had stopped to look over at him. Pikachu's ears twitched as May said something to him.

"My best friend decided to pay me a visit, and well, she could never resist the beach for very long." Casting a glance at Sophocles as he approached the group, Ash only raised an eyebrow.

"Sophocles met her not even thirty minutes ago. Did you forget to tell everyone where I'd be?" Ash teased, earning a laugh from his friends. "Very funny Ash." Sophocles grinned, albeit sheepishly.

"I'll take that as a yes." Kiawe spoke, making his presence known. "So, is you friend anyone we might know?"

Ash shook his head, waving at May to let her know that things were alright where he sat. Nonetheless, the Hoenn native made her way to the shore with Pikachu on her shoulder.

"She's someone I traveled with on one of my earlier journeys." Ash explained, focusing his attention down to Glaceon as she stretched and situated herself onto his lap. "This is her Glaceon, and she's not the biggest fan of the ocean."

"And do you remember why?" May's teasing tone cut into the conversation as she approached the group of teens. "Yeah, because the salt water makes her fur more coarse." Ash said back almost tauntingly, before looking back to his friends.

"Well, I guess now is as good a time as any to introduce you all to each other. Everyone, this is May, my best friend and a coordinator from the Hoenn region." The girl smiled brightly and waved at the group, Pikachu nuzzling against her cheek. Giggling, May caught sight of Sophocles and recognition sparked in her eyes.

"Hey, you're the trainer who's Pokémon we helped catch, right?" she asked, earning an embarrassed laugh from the electric type trainer. "Uh yeah, that would be me! I'm Sophocles, and this is Togedemaru!"

"Toge!" the steel and electric type cheered, rolling around in the sand happily.

"Hi May, I'm Mallow! It's a pleasure to meet you!" The chef said with a smile. "Steenee!" her Pokémon called, waving at May. "Oh, and this is Steenee!"

Kiawe gave the coordinator a curt smile, sticking out his hand to shake hers. "My name is Kiawe, and this is Turtonator." Taking his hand with a smile of her own, May looked up at the large Pokémon in awe.

"Nator!" the Pokémon greeted.

"I'm Lana! This is Popplio!"

"Pop pop!"

"And I'm Lillie!" the blonde said, finishing off the rounds. "And that's Snowy!" she added, pointing down at the Alolan Vulpix trying to get Glaceon's attention.

Smiling brightly, May reached up to scratch Pikachu's chin. "It's nice to meet all of you! Ash mentioned that he made lots of friends this time around, and I see that he wasn't kidding!"

"When have I ever steered you wrong?" Ash piped up, raising an eyebrow at the brunette. "Do I really have to answer that?" May challenged, and even Pikachu seemed to give Ash a look that said, 'really?'

Sighing in defeat, Ash rolled his eyes and stood up once Glaceon climbed off of his lap. "Fine, you win." he grumbled, causing his Alolan friends to laugh.

"I've never seen Ash give in so easily!" Lillie giggles, and May smiles brightly at the blonde. "There's a lot more where that came from!"

"Okaaayy." Ash stated, dragging out the last syllable of the word to catch everyone's attention. "I'm gonna go head to the water now. Anyone wanna join me?"

Kiawe and Sophocles decided to head towards the shore with Ash, leaving the girls alone to talk. The four settled down on the towels they'd laid out, and Pikachu settled himself onto May's lap and dozed off.

"So, how long have you known Ash?" Lana asks, starting the interrogation. Grinning from ear to ear, May pets Pikachu as she answers. "I'd say we're going on seven years of friendship. Though I will admit we had a bit of a rocky start."

"Oh?" Lillie asked, curiously confused. "How so?"

Thinking back to the first day they met, May's eyes drifted to Ash's figure as he splashed Sophocles and sent the shorter boy tumbling into the waves. She could see the raven haired boy laugh, and the look in her eyes was nothing short of adoration.

"Well, Pikachu here ended up frying my bike. I had only recently left my hometown, and Pokémon were my excuse to travel. I never liked Pokémon growing up, and long story short, Ash changed my entire worldview. I saw Pokémon in a new light, and I'd never be the person I am today without him."

The three Alolan girls could hear the admiration in their new friend's voice, could see it in her sapphire eyes. "It sounds like the two of you have quite a bit of history." Mallow commented, smirking at the unsuspecting brunette.

"Yeah, we really do." May said fondly, finally tearing her gaze away from Ash and refocusing her attention to Pikachu.

"Hey May?" Mallow started, hoping to get a little information out of the girl.

"Hm?" the Hoenn native answered absentmindedly, still petting the fuzzy electric type.

"Do you like Ash?"

Not surprised by the question, May simply smiled and shook her head.

"No, I don't like him…" her voice trailed off and she turned to gaze back to her best friend as he was pushed down by Kiawe.

The three remaining girls shared a knowing look, and Lana opened her mouth to say something before May spoke again.

"I love him."

Pikachu's ears twitched though he still seemed to be sleeping.

"Really? How long have you known this?" Lana asked after recovering from the initial shock from the blunt statement.

Shrugging a little, May thought about it for a moment. "I'm not so sure. I think I started to see him in a different light around three years ago, but who knows? I just know that he's my best friend, and I would choose to be with him every step of the way. He's got a special place in my heart that no one can ever take from him."

"Is that why you decided to visit now?" Lillie asked, smiling softly at her new friend's confession. Nodding her head, May refocusing her attention the the girls. Mallow's expression caught her gaze, because the look on the girl's face was borderline mischievous.

"Oh no, I know that look." Lana deadpanned, knowing her friend very well. "What look?" Mallow asked in an attempt to defend herself. Lana gave the green haired girl a knowing look before she answered.

"That look that means you've got a crazy idea. What're you thinking?"

"I'm thinking," Mallow started, grinning brightly. "That we should help get May and Ash together."

Rolling her eyes, Lana snorted lightly at the thought. "Don't we need May's consent for that?"

"Yeah!" Lillie agreed. "What do you think, May?" The three girls looked at May, who had most likely zoned out as she looked over at Ash once more.

"Let's just assume she agrees."

"This isn't going to end well, is it?"


End file.
